HTC Sense

HTC is getting closer to Google, and we don't just mean because Google acquired part of its mobile division. Almost like what happened with Motorola and, to some extent, LG, HTC's closer ties with the Android maker is causing ripples in the way it does Android as well. The latest case in point is its Sense Home launcher which, according to a leak from LlabTooFer, will be updated to implement the Google Pixel Launcher's swipe up gesture to pull up the app drawer.

Even though tomorrow will be all about the Galaxy S8, HTC is sneaking into headlines this afternoon with a couple of interesting new rumors about its upcoming phone. Specifically, we're hearing about some features that will be present in the next phone in the HTC U lineup - confusing called simply "HTC U."

HTC has not one but two new Android smartphones, the HTC U Ultra and HTC U Play, part of its new "U" family that promises to be more personable - and hopefully memorable - than previous handsets from the company. Intended to claw back some of the attention HTC has lost over the past couple of years at the hands of the iPhone and Samsung's relentless Galaxy launches, the concept behind "U" is to buck the status quo, seemingly based on the principle that you might not be able to convince everybody so you might as well really, really cater to a subset of HTC fans. We spent some time with both devices to see if they could sway us.

Gone are the days when each OEM had some wild implementation of the Android interface in an effort to differentiate themselves from the crowd. Those have now matured and mellowed down, shedding off some weight and putting some of their custom apps on Google Play Store for easier maintenance. HTC Sense, one of those custom Android skins, will even come to devices not made by HTC. At least that seems to be the deal with the e-mail sent to select testers, allowing them to experience HTC's vision of a proper Android experience, at least on the home screen.

Android has a fragmentation problem, but HTC believes the new HTC 10 is the first step toward fixing it. The company's new 2016 flagship doesn't go the whole "Nexus" route and abandon HTC Sense altogether, but it does benefit from a more nuanced approach to software add-ons and confusing preloads.

HTC had stopped listening, but it learned its lesson with the new HTC 10. Back in 2013 HTC unveiled the flagship One M7, and was widely praised for its unibody design, purposefully different approach to phone photography, and overall user-experience. In trying to keep up with the ever-present threat of Apple's iPhone and the increasingly polished - and heavily promoted - Samsung Galaxy line, though, HTC lost its way.

"Pick your battles" is good advice, especially when you're a minnow among sharks, but the HTC One A9 seems determined to fight on all fronts. You'd think the company's newest hero phone would have enough going on just trying to convince us that a flagship needn't max out the spec sheet, but HTC compounds its challenge by launching a device that can't not be compared to the wildly popular iPhone.

HTC has made a home in your pocket, and maybe even on your wrist, but what about in your car? An interesting finding details how HTC may be angling to involve themselves in auto, creating an in-dash system that does much of what Android Auto does, but builds on it just a bit more. Codenamed ‘Cello’, HTC is doing for Android Auto what they did for Android so many years ago, seemingly bringing a skinned Android Auto to car manufacturers for inclusion with new cars.

What does it take to create a smartphone design classic? For the HTC One M9, the answer is relentless refinement, improving what worked in its metal-bodied predecessors rather than chasing the latest trends. The smartphone spec arms-race is relentless, however, notable as much for its hyperbole as the minimal attention span of would-be buyers in carrier stores. If you can’t make your case in seconds, you’re going to lose the sale. Amid fierce competition, HTC doesn’t exactly have the greatest track record of playing up its strengths and capitalizing on its advantages. Has that changed in the One M9?

The HTC One M9 is here, and it feels mighty familiar. The company’s new flagship, unveiled here at Mobile World Congress 2015, takes the premium metal unibody of its predecessor and slots in a new chip, new camera, and tweaks what has already proved to be a popular design. And, while it might be easy to discount the One M9 at first for being an evolution rather than a revolution compared to the phones that came before it, HTC’s argument is that such an approach is exactly the route it needs to take: refinement rather than replacement for its own sake. Read on for some first impressions.

HTC is on the clock about when they’ll update their One lineup, having already noted they’d push Android Lollipop out within three months of it hitting AOSP. If a series of screenshots posted to Twitter are accurate, they’ve already begun the process. Released to the world by @LlabTooFeR, the shots show HTC’s Sense sitting atop Android Lollipop. According to the ROM Developer, this shows Sense 6.0, suggesting HTC hasn’t made any changes to their home-grown Android skin to go with Lollipop.

In their ongoing effort to split software from hardware, HTC has now made their Android lock-screen available in the Play Store. The very same lock screen you find on various HTC devices, including the HTC One (M8), is now being supported separately from their Android skin, Sense.